Ball-bearing



. part of an axle.

} NITED 'TATES ATENT FFICE;

THOMAS J. REID, OF WASHINGTON COURT-HOUSE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J.LYMAN DANN, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

BALL-BEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,557, datedSeptember 17,1895. Application filed December 18,1894- Serial No.532,224. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. REID, acitizen of the United States,residing at Wash ington Court-House, in the county of Fayette and Stateof Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBall-Bearings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to ball-bearings for vehicle and other journals,and my principal objects are to improve the construction of theball-incasements and to make the same independent of both the box andjournal and to render more simple and efficient the adjustment of theparts, to lessen the number of parts, to

exclude dust and dirt from the bearings, while holding elfectually thelubricating material in place, to give length and strength to theball-races by giving them long surface-bearings in the box and onthe'journal, doing away with the usual light short cones, thus avoidingthe rocking and shattering motion between the balls and their bearingsby which the contacting parts are worn away and broken and thecone-seats in box and axle rendered unfit for new cones. By myconstruction long and uniform wear of the ball-races is insured, and abearing that is softer than another cannot wear any faster.

To these ends my invention consists of the parts and combinations ofparts and their equivalents, as illustrated in the accompanying drawingsand as described and particularly claimed in the followingspecification.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a journal-box, journal, andball-bearings and hub, partly broken away; and Fig. 2 a trans versesectional View on line y y of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, A is the journal Inthe drawings the journalis shown tapering, but my invention is adapted'to be used'with straightjournals also.

B is the axle-box, secured within the bore of the hub and enlarged atthe point or outer end I), forming a raised flange, threaded inside,

necessary by my construction.

so as to receive an exteriorly-threaded case 0 instead of having, as insome instances, such cap screwed to the outside of the box. By havingthe point end of the box enlarged and by having the case screwed underthis enlarged end two abutting shoulders are formed for the case 0 tobear against, one at the inner end of the threaded flange of the box,where the case-flange c abuts the box, and, the other at the exteriorend of the box, where the portion of the case bears against the box.Thus a more solid support is obtained for the case and the balls. thanif the case were screwed on the outside of the box. Y Again, by thisconstruction of the point of thebox counterboring the hub between theends of the spoke-'tenons and the box for clearance space is dispensedwith, thus saving oneoporation inboring the hub' for the box. Thisclearance space is necessary, owing to the fact that if the spokes werein direct'contact with the box the elasticityof the hub would bedestroyed,the box would be liable to be broken,

and the life of the wheel would be greatly shortened. Heretofore it hasbeen the custo1n to bore out the hub under and adjacent to thespoke-tenons in order that the latter may be free to yield somewhat tothe strain upon them without danger of destroying the box. Thisadditional boring is rendered u-n- When the box B is driven into the hubB, the enlarged or raised part of the outer end b will fit tightly inthe hub, and at the other end the box will fit tightly in the hub at thebase of the enlarged part b, thusleaving a space 19 between the hub andthe box throughout the greater length of the latter. The spokes B arethus prevented from bearing against the box and the necessary freedomand elasticity secured.

The case 0 is threaded on the inside near its outer end to receive anaxle-cap D, threaded on its outer surface. The journal at its outer endreceives a shell E, which is provided with a locking-screw h, having itsinner end fitting into a hole in the axle to keep the shell fromturning. A locking-ring it screws on the cap D for the purpose oflocking the cap'after the balls have been adjusted by screwing the ringtightly against case 0. The cap D partially incloses the journal-shellE, leaving a space between them, which constitutes an oil-channel e, towhich oil is conducted through a hole 2' in the cap D. This oil-hole isthreaded and provided with a screw-plug, which registers with the screwh in the shell E.

On the interior surface of the cap D are recesses to form raceways fortwo sets of balls 3 and 4. The halls also have hearings or raceways inthe journal-shell E. The raceways in cap D face inwardly, so as to bearon the balls in front, and the raceways in the journal-shell E faceoutwardly, so as to engage the balls on the inside, thus formingdiagonally-opposite supporting-bearings tor the balls.

The incasement for the balls and ball-races at the point is thuscomposed of the case 0, the balhadjusting cap D, and the journalshell E.

The inner or ,butt end I) of the box is threaded near its end toreceivea retaining-v Inside of this retaining-cone is a ringf, which isprovided with a rib or lug 9,.

cone G.

adapted to slide with the ring in a groove in the box to prevent thering from turning. The groove in the box for the rib 9 extends thelength of the enlarged part of the box,

and is cut through the threads in the box to the end of the same topermit of the insertion of the rib in the groove. A sleeve or nut f,threaded part of its length, screws on,

the journal and bears against the axle-collar m. The cone G has anoutwardly-extending flange g, which overlaps and abuts against the endof the box and locks thecone in place. Raoeways for the two rows ofballs 1 and 2 are formed in and by the cone G and ringf and the threadedsleeve f. The incasement composed of these parts is in turn incased bythe enlarged end of the box I).

The inner end of retaining-cone G bears;

against end of ring f, and both bear on their respective sets of balls,and all four sets orv rows of balls are simultaneously adjusted by thecap D being screwed into the case 0. By screwing the cap D against theballs 3 and at the wheel will be drawn outward on-the axle;

but since the sleeve f is screwed on the axle and the balls have theirbearings therein the wheel, together with the ring f and cone'G,i-

or may be provided with other means for the application of a Wrench. Ifthe balls have been adjusted previously in their incasements noadjustment is required; but if they have Hence when the' Then the sleeveis screwed up not been it is merely necessary to loosen the screw-ring7t, adjust the balls with cap D, and screw the ring against case G, bywhich the adj usting-oap is locked in place. To remove the wheel fromthe axle it is only necessary to unscrew the sleeve f from the axle,when the wheel can be at once taken oif.

To put the balls in place in their incasernents when the latter aredisengaged from both the wheel and axle the cap D is set on its outerclosed end and the first row of balls 3 placed in their raceway, whichis undercut, so as to keep the balls in place. The shellE is then placedwithin the cap D, nearly down on the balls 8, but leaving enough spacebetween the cap and shell for the insertion of balls 4. The balls t arethen placed and the shell E dropped down in the cap. The case 0 is thenscrewed on cap D and the balls adjusted and lock-ed. The manner ofplacing the balls at the other end of the journal is practically thesame as that just described.

A band or ring of rubber or other elastic material is sprung into therecess 00 on the sleeve f and overlaps the edge of the coneG. This bandserves to keep the dirt and water from entering the bearings and to keepthe lubricant within the box. A more important object accomplished bythis band, however, is that of holding the cone G in place on the sleevef when the incasemeut is removed from the box.

The case 0 and cone G may be provided with suitable holes or notches forthe application of a spanner-wrench, by which the incasements mayberemoved entire from the box. The incasements may be shipped separatelyfrom the wheel and axle, and they can be fitted up for use on shafting,counter-shafts, loose pulleys, and rotary journals generally withoutdeparting from the principle of my invention.

While inthe drawings four rows of balls are shown, yet it may be seenthat two or three rows of balls can be employed without changing theprinciple of my construction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combinationwith the journal, of an axle box, enlarged at its outer end andintoriorly screw threaded, a case having a threaded flange extendingunder and engaging the said outer end of the box, the outer end of saidcase also interiorly screw threaded, a cap having exterior screw threadsengaging with said case, a shell placed on the end of thejourual andpartially inclosed by said cap, said cap and shell each provided withraceways, and balls in said raceways, and an internally screw threadedlocking ring on said cap, substantially as described.

'2. The combination with the journal of an axle box enlarged at itsinner end and interiorly screw threaded, a cone externally threadedextending under and engaging with said box,.an unthreaded ring withinsaid box abutting said cone, a partly threaded sleeve screwed onto theinn er end of said journal, the threaded end of said sleeve adapted tobear against the journal collar, said ring and cone placed between thejournal box and said sleeve, and the said ring, cone and sleeve providedwith raceways for balls, and said balls, substantially as described.

3. The independent, removable and adjustable incaseinent for the outerend of the j ournal, said inc-asement comprising a case interiorly screwthreaded, a cap externally threaded to engage with said case, a shellinclosed by said cap and adapted to be placed on the end of the journal,said cap and shell each provided with raceways for balls, and saidballs, and a locking ring for locking the said cap and case,substantially as described.

4. The independent, removable and adjustable incasement for the innerend of thejournal, said incasement comprising a cone, an unthreaded ringnext to the inner end of said cone, a partly threaded sleeve adapted tobe screwed on the end of said journal, said ring, cone and sleeveprovided with raoeways for balls, and said balls, and an elastic bandsprung into a recess on said sleeve to hold said cone in place,substantially as described.

5. The combination with an axle box, of a hub having a bore of a plaincontinuous surface at its central portion, said box provided at itsouter end with a peripheral enlargement fixed by a driven fit into theouter end of said bore, whereby when the axle box is inserted in placein the hub a clearance space for the spoke tenons is left between themiddle portion of the axle box and the hub, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

THOMAS J. REID. Witnesses:

FRANK A. CHAFFIN, FRANK O. ROBINSON.

